Apparatus for treating hydrocarbons



WNI

Patented Dec. 29., 1925.

f- UNITED STATES 1,567,212 PATENT OFFICE.

\ lFRANK C. VANDE WATERJAND FREDERICK RY SUNDERMAN, OF NEWBURGH, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNORS TO PETROLEUM LABORATORIES llNC., )OF NEWBURGH,

YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS.

v'Application led May 17, 1923. Serial No. 639,581.

ing a lower boilingpoint than the original.

material. y

Another object of `our invention is the provision of'suitable apparatuswherein various factors contributing towards the desired result arewithin accurate control of the operator, thus producing maximumetiiciencv. The above results are accomplished mainly by reason of thefact that we can control the temperature with aI -minimum amount ofvariance at which the hydrocarbon is cracked, thereby accuratelydetermining the lhydrocarbon produced. By controlling thistemperature-we are able to vary the character of the product byproducing conditions most favorable, under which a particular bodv maybe formed. i

` The appara-tus which we have found successful in `carrying" out theabove process may be attached to` any fractionating still now in use byone skilled in this `art, which :thereby renders the former apparatusmore eiiicient with minimum expense.

To this end our invention consists in conducting the vaporizedhydrocarbon from the still to a point in proximity to the fire box imVor other source of heat through tubular-mem? bers which may be in theform of coils or" otherwise. which are surrounded by a protective orpossibly insulation member which receives the heat directly. Dampers areprovided at each end of this protective surrounding member, and uponproper regulation of these dempers, the degree of heat reachingthecracking coils or tubes are read-V ily controlled., From the crackingtubes the this design of instrumentalities may be changed or modified asdesired without departing from the scope of our invention.

In these drawings:

The figure is a diagrammatic side elevation partly in section ofapparatus embodying our invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, we provide a still body1 which may be of yany suitable construction orA design adapted to beheated as by burners 2 in fire box 3 placed, as usual, below the still.Upon vaporization of the hydrocarbon within the member 1, vapor passesby means of pipe 4 to mixing fixture 5 which leads'to the cracking tubesor coils 6. Also attached to the mixing fixture 5 is a pipe 6 deliveringhydrogen thereto. The hydrogen may be suitably formed in coils 7 fromsteam, the supply of which is controlled by valve 8, the coil 7 passingthrough the fire box 3,

thereby causing theusual reaction between steam and iron. A protectivemember 9 is adapted to surround the cracking `tubeor coil 6 so that anair space is provided be'- tween the members 6 and 9 for a purpose morefully described hereinafter. The meinber 9 is closed tightly around thepart l6 at each'end thereof, and is provided with ,dempers 10 and'll tocontrol the amount of -12 conducts olf the air passing through themember 9 which ymay be. facilitatedv in its passage by either ,a vacuumlapparatus or a pressure apparatus asis well known, and as 1t forms nopart of this invention, is not illustrated.

The -cracked hydrocarbons pass ofi' by I neans of pipe'18 to the aircondenser 14 of usual construction, where the heavier vapors arecondensed and dropped back into thestillbody, a trap 17 being providedfor the purpose of eliminating undue pressure.. .From theV condenser 14the lighter hydrocar vbons -pass by means of pipe 15 to the usualfractionating apparatus 16 shown diagrammatically. 1

. It will be apparent that if the dampers 10 and 11 remain closed,thatthe temperature of the member 9 and the cracking tube 6 will besubstantially that of the fire box 3.' If, however, it is desired toreduce the tein-- perature in the cracking tube 6 regulation of thedampers 10 and 11 will cause a draft of air to pass through the member9, thus effectively reducing the temperature in the cracking coils, theair acting as cooling body to the coils.

We claim:

In combination, a still, a` vapor outlet therefrom, a cracking tubereceiving vapors I from the still and located beneath the still, 15

of cool air to circulate entirely around the 20 cracking tube andbetween the cracking tube and the protective element.

In testimony whereof, we affix our ,signatures.

FRANK c. VANDE WATER FREDERICK R. SUNDERMAN.

